Did you miss me?
Things are a little different this time ...
If I were to do this in person and have you all gathered in a room, I imagine this would be quite awkward. Like when your ex randomly slides into your DM’s by liking your story on a Saturday night.
You’re left wondering “What the fuck are you doing here?”, trying to wrap your head around why they chose now to pop back up.
Well, the reason I’m back is because, after a 2-year hiatus, I’ve decided it’s time to write again. But a lot has changed since I started this page, so let me explain.
In 2021, when Substack was still new, I rang in the New Year stuck in Jersey after the UK went into its second lockdown. I was staying in my mum’s spare room, having only left it 4 months prior, navigating how I was going to pay my rent in London whilst working remotely.
I worked freelance news shifts, got a writing job and moved back to London, all for it to change again just 3 months later. I got another job in TV, worked harder than ever before, and experienced a huge endo flare-up that resulted in being booked in for my second laparoscopic surgery.
I spent 2 months in my house, too sick and fatigued - and frankly depressed - to go out in preparation for this op. It was a struggle, but mostly, it was a huge wake-up call that something needed to change.
Luckily, I bounced back from the ordeal feeling brand new again and got myself another shiny new job. My 4th gig that year, and we were only in November. Are you keeping up?
I entered the world of PR, embracing all the perks of the 9-5 and felt my life take on a brand new trajectory, after months of feeling like I was wading through treacle trying to make a big dream a reality.
Fast forward to now, I’m unexpectedly entering a brand new chapter. I came to London less than three years ago, hoping to make my Carrie Bradshaw fantasy a reality, and was quickly brought back down to earth when it didn’t go the way I’d planned. However, I firmly believe in following your gut and seeking out what serves you.
So, I’m giving it another go. For the first time in my twenties, despite the bumps in the road, I feel settled. Settled in myself, where I live, and who I have in my life. It feels like the puzzle pieces are fitting where they should be again. And this feeling of content has brought me back to what I love doing most - writing.
In honour of this new era of life, with new goals and dreams, I figured that this little corner of the internet I inhabit deserved a new name.
In Order to Bloom will be a space where I overshare and deconstruct the pockets of my life that don’t make it into the Instagram dumps. We’ll discuss the ups and downs of London life - dating, friends, work - and all the lovely discoveries from restaurants, recipes, books and podcasts that keep me fulfilled along the way.
For whatever reason, I feel the need to discuss it all with you, dear reader. Because as I edge toward turning thirty, I’ve been hit with the “do it now or never” bug. And this is the first instalment of making that happen.
I hope you stick around to see where we end up.